Chapter 19: Chapter 19: A Good Breakfast
After tending to our morning needs, Yuki and I separately cleaned ourselves and took a bath before convening in the living room for breakfast.
We indulged in a meal of rice with miso soup, boiled vegetables, and eggs as side dishes. While the food was delicious, I couldn't help but miss the flavours of my old cuisine, as it would take time to fully adapt to this new palate.
As we savoured our meal , Kanao entered the room with her expression strangely irritated like she was very annoyed by something and sat down next to Yuki to eat her fill.
I looked at her, quite surprised, as she typically ate by herself unless there was a special occasion. It was unexpected to see her join us today, and I wondered what might have caused this change in her routine.
But she looked unusual as she kept glancing towards both of us from time to time with an annoyed gaze.
"Hymph!"
Kanao's odd behaviour didn't escape Yuki, who gave me a nervous glance before leaning in to whisper in my ear, "Did she hear us?"
"Maybe, I don't know, but she's got better eyes than ears though."
After a few moments of silence, Yuki decided to ask. "Kanao, is there something you'd like to talk about?"
Kanao glanced at us for a moment before producing a coin and flipping it. After it landed on heads, she turned back to us and simply said, "Nothing."
Both Yuki and I shook our heads in response to her peculiar behaviour. We had been encouraging her to make independent decisions rather than relying on luck. While there had been some progress in getting her to shed some of her old habits, her reliance on random decisions still lingered.
Nonetheless, her actions suggested that she had something on her mind, but the unfortunate flip of the coin kept her silent. I contemplated whether to adopt Tanjiro's straightforward approach or allow her more time to change at her own pace.
But my thoughts were interrupted when the door swung open, and Mitsuri and Shinobu entered the room.
Mitsuri blushed upon entering and avoided looking in our direction, maintaining her gaze on the table. Either she had overheard our activities from the previous night or if she was still embarrassed about the bathroom incident, or it can be both.
While Shinobu still had a calm face as she sat down to eat next to Kanao and started eating quietly.
Usually Mitsuri would be the chatty one with Yuki as second , but today an awkward silence hung over as Yuki didn't want to talk knowing that they might have heard her moans.
While Mitsuri only looked at her bowl as she kept eating hurriedly without glancing towards anyone.
I didn't like the atmosphere so I decided to address the situation and put an end to the awkwardness. I picked up my glass and slammed it against the table, capturing everyone's attention.
"Okay! If you guys want to ask something, ask me directly. There's no need to feel awkward. And Shinobu-san, don't give me that look."
Shinobu only gave a snicker at that comment.
Yuki seemed surprised by my bold approach but probably felt that it was better to be open about our relationship with their friends rather than trying to hide it, especially since it wasn't much of a secret. She mustered her courage, ready to respond to any questions.
Mitsuri was the first to break the silence, her face flushed as she finally looked in our direction.
"Are you two... together now?" she inquired.Yuki and I exchanged glances before looking at Mitsuri.
"Yes, we are," I confirmed, nodding at Mitsuri.
Yuki smiled in relief as she heard Ace confirmation. Her earlier nervousness had stemmed from the manner in which her relationship with Ace had started, but now it was clear that he accepted her. However, she also knew that even if he hadn't chosen her, and had gone in a different direction, she would still have been content as long as she could be with me. But now she felt an overwhelming sense of happiness, knowing she had made the right choice.
Kanao, however, continued to watch us silently, as if assessing our responses. Her expression remained unreadable, making it difficult to discern her thoughts.
Shinobu, observing the situation with a hint of amusement, glanced between Kanao and us before she finally spoke up. "Well, it's not surprising. With how much Yuki looked at you, it would take a fool not to notice it."
Yuki blushed, but a small smile graced her lips, and she didn't deny Shinobu's observation.
While Kanao continued to maintain an unreadable expression, I couldn't help but use my Soul Eyes ability to her emotions only to see waves of displeasure radiating from her, despite her stoic exterior.
'Is she Jealous?No it's not that simple, at least not fully'.
This took me as a surprise, since I didn't see that much love in her Emotion Body towards me,yes while there is some fondness between us , it is not to the level that she would show displeasure especially with her personality.
As I turned my attention towards Mitsuri, I could clearly see lingering clouds of sadness surrounding her, even though she tried to put on a bright smile.
I couldn't help but shake my head at the situation since Yuki's action last night even took him by surprise.
As he can't always open his Soul Eyes to read the emotions since the consumption of soul energy is very high ,so he could only open it for a limited time before the exhaustion took hold.
Still what is done, is done! and he didn't regret it one bit but he loved it more seeing Yuki taking the initiative.
"I'm happy for you both! It's nice to see the two of you together."Mitsuri chimed in but it was obvious she lacked her cheerfulness.
"Thanks,"Yuki said.
Shinobu quickly saw through Mitsuri's act and changed the topic "Okay, let's leave the topic for later, we have more important things to do."
"Hmm?"
"Well, your training with Mitsuri has indeed improved your balance and ability to predict attacks, but you still lack substantial experience in on-ground battles. To address that, we'll have you engage in combat with each of us."
"Okay," I nodded in response. Her suggestion made sense. While I possessed strength and powerful techniques, I lacked practical combat experience, particularly in dealing with the unpredictability of demon battles. Demons, with their regenerative abilities, didn't worry about muscle tears or broken bones, and they often fought using unconventional angles. These training sessions would be a massive help in making my own fighting style.
"So, who's going to spar with me first?" I inquired.
Without waiting for anyone else to respond, Kanao stood up, her sword smoothly unsheathed and at the ready. In her typical monotone voice, she issued a challenge, "Come." Her stance was prepared, and her unwavering gaze locked onto mine.
"Here?" I questioned, since I am pretty sure this house would not hold if we fought here. It is made of wood ofcourse.
"We should find a more suitable location, Kanao. And please, no real swords. We will use dull swords. We're not engaging in life-or-death battles." Shinobu chided Kanao before turning to Ace. "I have already prepared a dull bladed Glaive , so you don't have to worry."
Kanao nodded and sheathed back her katana before leaving the room.
'Whats up with her' I thought, before standing up and following behind Kanao to the forest.
Yuki and Shinobu also quickly followed behind us.
"Wait for me!" Mitsuri shouted from behind with a rice ball in her mouth.
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